Handcuff.



Patented [My 4, I899. J. F., CUMMING.

HANDCUFF.

(Application, filed Mar. 10, 1899.) (Ho Mad'al.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. OUMMING, OF WVOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

HAN DCUFF.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent No. 628,139, dated July 4,1899'.

Application filed March 10,1399. Serial No. 708,469. on model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, JOHN F. OUMMINc,a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHandcuffs, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to handcuffs for manacling the hands of prisoners,&c. and the object of my invention is to improve upon the constructionof handcuifs as now ordinarily made and to provide handcuffs which canbe very quickly and readily applied to and securely locked on the wristsof the prisoner.

Heretofore in the ordinary construction of handcufis the two pivotedarms or sections are made plain or without projections or means ofengaging or grasping them to open the handcuffs preparatory to placingthem on the wrists of the wearer. In order to open the handcuffs andplace them on the wrists of the wearer, it has been necessary to use twohands, one for each pivoted arm or section of the handcuffs. In case ofan unruly prisoner it is often very difficult for one man to use twohands to manipulate the handcufls and at the same time hold and controlthe prisoner while the handcuffs are being placed on his wrists.

In my improved handcuffs I have provided means for grasping and holdingwith one hand each handcuff and opening the same preparatory to placingit on the wrist of the wearer, and also improved mechanism forpreventing the handcuff from becoming accidentally locked before it isplaced upon the wrist, said mechanism being controlled by a devicelocated in an accessible place near the base or pivot connection of thetwo arms of the handcufi, so that it can be readily engaged by the thumbor finger ofthe same hand that grasps and opens the handcuffs.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction of myhandcuffs as above indicated, and to be hereinafter fully described.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of one of a pair ofhandcuffs embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 corresponds to Fig. 1, butshows the handcuff open. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section throughthe upper part of the handcuff, showing thelocking mechanism held in itsinoperative position, with the two sections of the handcuff unlocked;and Fig. 4 corresponds to Fig. 3, but shows the locking mechanism in itsopposite or operative position to lock the two sections together.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 and 2 are the two arms orsections of thehandcufi having their ends pivoted together at 3, at which point is alsopivoted the swivel-block 4:,forming a means of attachment for the links5 of a chain connecting the haudcuff to another handcufi of similarconstruction to make a pair in the usual way. On each arm or section 1and 2, on the outer edge thereof and near their pivot connection,is aprojection or extension 6 on the same side of the pivot connection 3 asthe arms 1 and 2. Said projections or extensions 6 are adapted to beengaged by the thumb and forefinger of one hand of the user and movedtoward each other to move the sections 1 and 2 on their pivot connectionand open'the handcuff, as shown in Fig'. 2.

I will now describe the locking mechanism shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and thedevice for holding the locking mechanism'outof action. Upon the innersurface of the free end of one section or arm, as 1, I provide a seriesof notches or recesses 1. to be engaged by alatch or hooked lever. Uponthe other arm or section, as 2, is a hollow head portion 2 and also ahollow side portion 2", connecting with the hollow head portion 2.Within the part 2' is located the locking mechanism, comprising a latchor lever 7, pivoted on a transverse pin 8 and acted on by a spring 9 tocause the hooked end 7' to engage with the notches 1 in the'arm 1, asshown in Fig. 3, when the opposite end of said lever 7 is released bythe locking-lever 10, pivoted on a transverse pin 11 within the hollowpart 2". The lockinglever 10 is centrally pivoted and is acted on by aspring '12 to push the lower end 10'- of said lever outwardly, and holdthe upper notched end 10 in engagement with the end of the latch 7, asshown in Fig. 3. Athumblatch 13 is pivoted by a transverse pin .14within the lower part of the part 2", and its outer end extends throughan opening in the outer surface or edge of the section 2,'as shown inFigs. 3 and 4:. An extension 13' on the thumb-latch13 extends over thelower end of the locking-lever 10, as shown. When the thumb-latch 13 ismoved down, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring 12 acts to hold the upper endof the lever 10 in engagement with the end of the lever 7 and hold saidlever out of engagement with the notches 1 in the section or arm 1, asshown in Fig. 3, so that said section is free to be moved out to openthe handcuifs. When .the thumb-latch 13 is moved up, as shown in Fig. 4,it moves out of the upper end of the lever 10 and allows the end of thelever 7 to drop into the notch 10" in the upper end of the lever 10 andthe hooked end 7 of the lever 7 to engage with the notches 1 in the arm1, as shown in'Fig. 4, to lock the sections or arms 1 and 2 together.The notch 10 in the upper end of the lever 10 limits the movement of thelever or latch 7. After the arms 1 and 2 are locked together, as shownin Fig. 4, a key may be inserted through the keyhole 15, in thisinstance located on one side of the part 2 to engage the end of thelever 7 and move it to disengage the hook 7 thereon from the notches 1'and allow the lever 10 to be moved by the spring 14 to engage the end ofsaid lever 7 and hold it, as shown in Fig. 3.

In using my handcuffs one hand grasps the end of the chain where it isconnected to the two sections or arms 1 and 2, and the thumb is placedon one extension 6 and the first finger on the other extension 6 andsaid extensions moved toward each other to move the two sections or arms1 and 2 apart to open the handcuft', as shown in Fig. 2, preparatory toplacing it on the wrist of the prisoner, the

thumb-latch 13 being in the position shown in Fig. 3 to hold the hookedlever or latch 7 out of engagement with the notches or recesses 1 in thearm 1 and prevent the accidental locking of the handcutf before it isplaced on the wrist; but as soon as the handcnff is on the wrist thethumb-latch 13 is moved into the position shown in Fig. +1 to allow thelever or latch 7 to engage the notches or recesses 1 in the arm 1 whenthe handcuif is closed on the wrist.

The advantages of my improvements in handcnds will be readilyappreciatedby those skilled in the art.

By placing the thumb-latch controlling the locking mechanism near thepivot connec tion of the two arms 1 and 2 it is accessible to the handholding the handcuit and engaging the projections 6 6 thereon.

It will be understood that some of the details of construction of myhandcnfi may be varied, if desired, and the keyhole 15, instead of beinglocated on the side of the handcuif, as shown, may be located on theouter edge of the part 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. As an improved article of manufacture, a handcuff having two arms orsections pivoted together at their ends, and each arm having aprojection or extension thereon nearits pivot connection, and on thesame side of the pivot connection as the arm, said projections to beengaged and moved toward each other to open the handcuffs, substantiallyas shown and described.

2. In handcuffs, the combination with one section or arm, having aseries of notches or recesses on the inner surface of its free end, of asecond section or arm pivoted to the firstmentioned arm, and having ahollow head and a hollow side portion for the locking. mechanism, andsaid locking mechanism, comprising a spring-actuated hooked lever orlatch pivoted in the hollow head portion, to engage the notches orrecesses in the firstmentioned arm, and a spring-actuated locking-leverpivoted in the hollow side portion for engaging and holding said hookedlever out of engagement with said notches, said locking-lever providedwith a notch therein to limit the motion of said hooked lever or latch,and a thumb-latch pivoted within the lower part of the hollow sideportion, to engage and operate said locking-lever, and with its outerend extending through an opening in the outer surface of said second armorsection, at the side thereof and near its pivotal connection,substantially as shown and described.

JOHN F. CUMMING.

Witnesses:

J. C. DEWEY, M. J. GALVIN.

